1. Field of Portable Solar Shower
This portable solar shower pertains to equipment for storing and dispensing water when access to a permanent water supply or shower is not readily available and more particularly to a pressurized solar heated shower.
2. Prior Art
Attaching objects to a vehicle roof rack is known. One such device disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,524,983 which shows a method for attaching a bicycle to a vehicle roof rack.
Portable showers are known. One such device disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,413,363. While it is portable, it depends on a municipal water supply to provide water. Another device, disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 1,372,598, includes a fuel burning water heater and a hand pump. It is large and difficult to transport.
Pressurized portable showers are known. One example of such a shower is found in U.S. Pat. No. 3,483,571, which shows a large spherical tank that is suspended over a fire and pressurized with a valve stem of the type used to pressurize a tire. Others, such as that shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,911,520, use a hand pump to provide pressure to the water tank.
Solar heated showers have heretofore been provided for use by campers, backpackers, and boaters and the like. Some devices convert solar energy to electricity and then the electricity to heat the water. Others, such as those disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,471,759, 4,143,644, 3,513,828, and 1,042,418 heat water radiantly. One example of such a shower is found in U.S. Pat. No. 4,520,793, which is a flexible bag containing a spray hose for spraying water onto a bather. It is designed to heat water inside by exposure to the sun and then be hung above the user for gravity to provide water flow. The backing is usually black in color and functions as an solar absorber.
Pressurized and portable solar showers are known. One example is found in U.S. Pat. No. 5,507,275. While it uses the sun to heat the water, the pressure comes from a hose connected to a municipal water supply. While this device may work well in near a back yard swimming pool, it cannot be used where there is not a supply of pressurized water. It is also rather bulky and cumbersome to set up. Another example is found in U.S. Pat. No. 6,049,919, which uses a large bucket type container that is painted black on the inside and uses a clear top to admit solar energy. It uses a pump to provide pressure, which requires an electrical source. This restricts its use to locations with a source of electricity.
Another pressurized and portable solar shower is found in U.S. Pat. No. 6,295,663. This appears to be an improvement on the shower that is found in U.S. Pat. No. 4,520,793, the flexible bag shower. The '663 device overcomes the low pressure shortcoming of the '793 device by adding a pressurized bladder that is inflated with an air pump. However, both of these devices have the following shortcomings. If you transport them full of water, the vinyl is easy to puncture and prone to leaks. The vinyl plugs are difficult to seal and sometimes leak. They are hard to fill by one person, holding up the bag with one hand and using the hose with the other hand, usually filling to overflowing while the hose continues to flow. Another problem with this device is when a person is ready to use the shower, one must find a suitable structure or tree that is strong enough to hold up a shower that may weigh 40 lbs. A tree may be impossible to find in the desert. Then, a person must find a way to lift it over one's head and tie it to the structure. This is a difficult feat for one person. Then, one must crouch low to take a shower, if it is not tied high enough. In addition, the pressure is low since these showers rely on gravity, thereby making it difficult to rinse shampoo from one's hair.
A draw back of all of the solar showers is they need to be set out in the sun for several hours for the water to get warm. If you are driving or boating for long periods of time and arrive at camp at dusk, there may not be enough time to set out the shower and heat the water.
More complex apparatus include frame structures for hanging curtain material to provide privacy when using an outdoor shower system. An example is a portable shower that fits in a suitcase like enclosure and expands to a functional shower stall in U.S. Pat. No. 4,975,992. The problem with this device is that it is large and time consuming to set up.
Many such systems are known. U.S. Pat. No. 4,457,553 provides a shower stall that is mounted from the roof of a van. While this system is somewhat easier to set up, it requires special hardware mounted to the roof of the van.